Home Computers and
Internet Use in the United States:
August 2000
Issued September 2001
Special Studies
P23-207
Defining computer and Internet
access
All individuals living in a household in
which the respondent answered “Yes”
to the question, “Is there a personal
computer or laptop in this household?” are considered to have “access”
to that computer.
Households with ‘Internet access' are
those which have at least one member using the Internet at home.
questions raised by the nation’s changing
technological base.
HOME COMPUTERS AND
INTERNET USE
More than half of households have
computers.
Current
Population
Reports
By
Eric C. Newburger
In August 2000, 54 million households, or
51 percent, had one or more computers,
up from 42 percent in December 1998
(Figure 1).1 Since 1984, the first year in
1
The estimates in this report are based on responses
from a sample of the population. As with all surveys,
estimates may vary from the actual values for the entire
population because of sampling variation, or other factors. All statements made in this report have undergone
statistical testing and meet Census Bureau standards for
statistical accuracy.
The rapid adoption of computer and
Internet technology by the U.S. population
has raised many questions. Which households have computers, and which have
Internet access? Do
children have the
Figure 1.
access to computer
Computers and Internet Access in
technology that
the Home: 1984 to 2000
they need to pre(Civilian noninstitutional population)
pare them for jobs
in a human capital
Percent of households with a computer
economy? Do
Percent of households with Internet access
some children have
access while others
51.0
do not? Who uses
42.1
the Internet,
41.5
36.6
among both children and adults?
26.2
How might this
22.8
use change socie18.0
15.0
ty? This report
8.2
uses Current
Population Survey
(CPS) data to
1984
1989
1993
1997 1998
2000
address some of
Note: Data on Internet access were not collected before 1997.
the primary
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, various years.
Demographic Programs
USCENSUSBUREAU
U.S. Department of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Helping You Make Informed Decisions
which the Census Bureau collected
data on computer ownership and
use, the country has experienced
more than a fivefold increase in the
proportion of households with computers.
More than 2 in 5 households
have Internet access.
Forty-four million households, or
42 percent, had at least one member who used the Internet at home
in 2000. This proportion was up
from 26 percent in 1998, and more
than double the proportion of
households with Internet access in
1997 (18 percent), the first year in
which the Census Bureau collected
data on Internet use.2 In households
which have computers, Internet use
has rapidly become so common as
to make computer availability and
Internet access nearly synonymous.
In 1997, less than half of households with computers had someone
using the Internet. In 2000, more
than 4 in 5 households with a computer had at least one member
using the Internet at home.
High-income households are
more likely to have computers
or Internet access.
Among family households with
incomes of $75,000 or more during
the 12 months prior to the survey,
88 percent had at least one computer, and 79 percent had at least one
household member who used the
Internet at home in 2000. Among
family households with incomes
below $25,000, only 28 percent
had a computer, and 19 percent had
Internet access (Table A).
One-person households were the
least likely to have a computer or
Internet access. While 58 percent of
households with two to four people
had a computer, only 30 percent of
Data for 1997 include only those accessing
the Internet through a computer. Data for 1998
and 2000 include those accessing the Internet
through all types of Internet devices.
2
2
one-person households had a computer. Forty-seven percent of two-tofour-person households had Internet
access compared with 24 percent of
one-person households.
Similarly, married-couple households
were the most likely to have a computer or Internet access. Sixty-four
percent of married-couple households had a computer, and 53 percent had Internet access. Fewer than
half of all other households combined had a computer, and less than
one-third had Internet access.
The presence of a child also influences whether a household has a
computer or Internet access. Twothirds of households with a schoolage child (6 to 17 years) had a computer, and 53 percent had Internet
access. In comparison, only 45 percent of households without a schoolage child had a computer, and only
37 percent had Internet access.
Household computer presence and
Internet access varied among the
four regions of the country. For
example, households in the West
were the most likely to have computers or Internet access (57 percent
and 47 percent, respectively). Those
in the South were least likely (47 percent and 38 percent, respectively).
Households situated in metropolitan
areas, but outside central cities,
were most likely to have a computer
(58 percent) or Internet access (48
percent). Only 46 percent of households in central cities had a computer, and just 38 percent had Internet
access. Nonmetropolitan households
were least likely to have a computer
or Internet access (42 percent and
32 percent, respectively).
About 94 million people use
the Internet at home.
Among people 3 years old or over,
36 percent used the Internet at
home in 2000, including 18 million
children 3 to 17 years, and
75 million adults 18 years old and
over.3 In 1998, only 57 million people, or 22 percent of those 3 years
and over, used the Internet.
CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO
COMPUTERS AND THE
INTERNET
More children have access to a
computer or use the Internet at
home than ever before.
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of all
children 3 to 17 years lived in a
household with a computer in
2000, up from 55 percent in 1998.
Thirty percent of all children used
the Internet at home in 2000 (Table
B), compared with just 19 percent
in 1998.
Although girls were as likely as
boys to use the Internet at home,
children’s Internet use varied with
age. Only 7 percent of the youngest
children, those 3 to 5 years, used
the Internet at home. Among children 6 to 11 years, 25 percent used
the Internet at home, and 48 percent, nearly half, of children 12 to
17 years used the Internet at home.
White non-Hispanic children
are more likely to have home
computer access or use the
Internet than are Black or
Hispanic children.
Among children 3 to 17 years,
77 percent of White non-Hispanics
and 72 percent of Asians and Pacific
Islanders lived in households with
computers, while only 43 percent of
Black children and 37 percent of
Hispanic children did so.4
3
Some estimates may not add up to the
total population because of rounding.
4
Based on the August 2000 Current
Population Survey sample, 3 percent of Black
children 3 to 17 years and 3 percent of Asians
and Pacific Islanders 3 to 17 years are also of
Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Data for the American Indian and Alaska
Native population are not shown in this report
because of the small sample size in the August
2000 Current Population Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau
Table A.
Households With Computers and Internet Access by Selected Characteristics:
August 2000
(Numbers in thousands. Civilian noninstitutional population)
Total
households
Computer in household
Home Internet access
Characteristic
Number
Number
Percent
90 percent
C.I. (+ –)1
Number
Percent
90 percent
C.I. (+ –)1
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
105,247
53,716
51.0
0.4
43,639
41.5
0.4
AGE OF HOUSEHOLDER
Under 25 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25 to 44 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45 to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
65 years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6,104
42,545
34,800
21,798
2,675
25,944
19,800
5,297
43.8
61.0
56.9
24.3
1.5
0.6
0.6
0.7
2,179
21,353
16,251
3,856
35.7
50.2
46.7
17.7
1.5
0.6
0.6
0.6
RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDER
White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
White non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Asian and Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hispanic (of any race) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
87,746
78,719
13,171
3,457
9,565
46,846
43,829
4,317
2,250
3,224
53.4
55.7
32.8
65.1
33.7
0.4
0.4
0.9
1.8
1.4
38,380
36,260
3,111
1,944
2,255
43.7
46.1
23.6
56.2
23.6
0.4
0.4
0.8
1.9
1.3
HOUSEHOLDER’S EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Less than high school diploma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
High school diploma/GED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Some college . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bachelors degree or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17,402
32,278
27,883
27,684
3,162
12,783
16,807
20,963
18.2
39.6
60.3
75.7
0.7
0.6
0.7
0.6
2,032
9,666
13,661
18,279
11.7
29.9
49.0
66.0
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.7
SIZE OF HOUSEHOLD
One person. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Two to four people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Five or more people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27,167
67,461
10,619
8,165
38,853
6,697
30.1
57.6
63.1
0.7
0.5
1.1
6,533
31,829
5,277
24.0
47.2
49.7
0.6
0.5
1.1
HOUSEHOLD TYPE
Family households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Married-couple household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Male householder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Female householder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nonfamily household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
72,044
54,830
4,179
13,035
33,203
42,238
34,875
1,879
5,484
11,478
58.6
63.6
45.0
42.1
34.6
0.4
0.5
1.8
1.0
0.6
34,315
28,872
1,455
3,988
9,323
47.6
52.7
34.8
30.6
28.1
0.4
0.5
1.7
1.0
0.6
PRESENCE OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN IN
HOUSEHOLD
Without children 6 to 17 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
With children 6 to 17 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
76,558
28,689
34,537
19,179
45.1
66.8
0.4
0.7
28,360
15,279
37.0
53.3
0.4
0.7
REGION
Northeast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20,051
24,276
38,009
22,912
10,283
12,442
17,891
13,099
51.3
51.3
47.1
57.2
0.8
0.8
0.6
0.8
8,620
9,929
14,404
10,685
43.0
40.9
37.9
46.6
0.8
0.8
0.6
0.8
METROPOLITAN STATUS
Metropolitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside central city. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside central city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nonmetropolitan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
84,646
31,806
52,840
20,601
45,110
14,727
30,382
8,606
53.3
46.3
57.5
41.8
0.4
0.7
0.5
1.0
37,124
11,987
25,137
6,515
43.9
37.7
47.6
31.6
0.4
0.6
0.5
0.9
FAMILY INCOME
TOTAL FAMILIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Under $15,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15,000-19,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20,000-24,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25,000-34,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35,000-49,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50,000-74,999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
75,000+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Not reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
72,044
7,458
3,298
4,173
8,553
9,918
12,555
15,040
11,050
42,238
1,747
1,021
1,437
4,031
6,131
9,424
13,198
5,249
58.6
23.4
30.9
34.4
47.1
61.8
75.1
87.8
47.5
0.5
1.2
2.0
1.8
1.3
1.2
1.0
0.7
1.2
34,315
1,068
674
1,040
2,982
4,766
7,825
11,886
4,074
47.6
14.3
20.4
24.9
34.9
48.1
62.3
79.0
36.9
0.5
1.0
1.7
1.6
1.3
1.2
1.1
0.8
1.1
1
This figure added to or subtracted from the estimate provides the 90-percent confidence interval.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
U.S. Census Bureau
3
Table B.
Access to a Home Computer and Use of the Internet at Home by Children 3 to 17 Years:
August 2000
(Numbers in thousands. Civilian noninstitutional population)
Characteristic
Children 3 to
17 years old
Home computer access
Use Internet at home
Number
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60,635
39,430
65.0
18,437
30.4
AGE
3 to 5 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 to 11 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 to 17 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11,915
24,837
23,884
6,905
15,924
16,600
58.0
64.1
69.5
864
6,135
11,439
7.3
24.7
47.9
SEX
Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31,055
29,580
20,273
19,156
65.3
64.8
9,392
9,045
30.2
30.6
RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
White non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Black. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Asian and Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hispanic (of any race). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47,433
38,438
9,779
2,581
9,568
33,062
29,731
4,161
1,855
3,546
69.7
77.3
42.5
71.9
37.1
15,940
14,773
1,441
909
1,229
33.6
38.4
14.7
35.2
12.8
HOUSEHOLDER’S EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Less than high school diploma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
High school diploma/GED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Some college . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bachelors degree or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10,159
18,915
16,994
14,567
3,060
10,559
12,712
13,098
30.1
55.8
74.8
89.9
1,126
4,600
5,926
6,786
11.1
24.3
34.9
46.6
HOUSEHOLD TYPE
Family households. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Married-couple household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Male householder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Female householder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nonfamily household. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60,012
42,936
3,092
13,984
620
39,119
31,593
1,508
6,017
310
65.2
73.6
48.8
43.0
50.0
18,284
15,050
740
2,493
154
30.5
35.1
23.9
17.8
24.8
REGION
Northeast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10,794
14,302
20,870
14,668
7,576
9,816
12,711
9,327
70.2
68.6
60.9
63.6
3,832
4,591
5,756
4,258
35.5
32.1
27.6
29.0
METROPOLITAN STATUS
Metropolitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside central city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside central city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nonmetropolitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49,316
17,478
31,839
11,319
32,513
9,341
23,171
6,917
65.9
53.4
72.8
61.1
15,187
4,149
11,038
3,250
30.8
23.7
34.7
28.7
FAMILY INCOME
TOTAL 3 TO 17 YEARS IN FAMILIES . . . . . . . .
Under $15,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15,000-19,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20,000-24,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25,000-34,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35,000-49,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50,000-74,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
75,000+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Not reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
59,288
7,480
2,896
3,596
6,967
8,463
10,374
12,115
7,395
38,729
2,041
1,044
1,507
3,755
6,044
8,574
11,294
4,470
65.3
27.3
36.0
41.9
53.9
71.4
82.6
93.2
60.4
18,139
578
373
547
1,463
2,694
4,142
6,263
2,079
30.6
7.7
12.9
15.2
21.0
31.8
39.9
51.7
28.1
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
4
U.S. Census Bureau
While 38 percent of White nonHispanic children and 35 percent of
Asian and Pacific Islander children
used the Internet at home, just
15 percent of Black children and
13 percent of Hispanic children did.5
Figure 2.
Access to Computers Among School-Age
Children: August 2000
(Civilian noninstitutional population)
More school-age children use
computers at school than have
access to them at home.
School is a major influence on children’s access to computers. Among
children of school age (6 to 17
years), 2 in 3 had access to a computer at home in 2000. However, 4
in 5 actually used a computer at
school.
More than half of school-age children had access to computers both
in school and at home (57 percent).
However, many children had access
in only one location or the other. Of
them, far more had access in school
than had access at home. Twentythree percent of school-age children
had access to a computer only at
school, compared with just 10 percent who had access only at home.
Adding all three groups together, 9
in 10 school-age children had
access to a computer somewhere,
leaving just 10 percent of children
who had no access to a computer in
any locale (Figure 2).
Schools level the playing field
by giving computer access to
children who have none at
home.
For children 6 to 17 years old, computer use at school was more nearly equal across different income,
race, or ethnic groups than computer access at home (Figure 3).
School-age children in family households with incomes of $75,000 or
more had the highest rates of home
5
The proportions of home Internet users
among Asian and Pacific Islander and White
non-Hispanic children were not significantly different. The proportions of home Internet users
among Black and Hispanic children were also
not significantly different.
U.S. Census Bureau
Access only
at school,
22.8 percent
Access both
at home and at school,
56.9 percent
Access only
at home,
9.9 percent
No access,
10.4 percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
computer access, at 94 percent,
compared with those with incomes
below $25,000, at 35 percent (a difference of about 60 percentage
points). But at school, while 87 percent of those with the highest
incomes used a computer, 72 percent of those with the lowest
incomes did so, a difference of only
15 percentage points.
Figure 3 illustrates a similar equalizing effect observed among children
of different racial or ethnic groups. At
home, access varied from high to low
by 41 percentage points. However, at
school the range was much smaller,
just 14 percentage points.
The net result of the effect schools
have in giving computer access
across income, racial, and ethnic
groups is a leveling of the computer
access that children of different
groups have compared to what they
would have had if home were the
only place available for them to use
computers. The absolute percentagepoint gap in total computer access
between children from family
households with the highest and
lowest incomes was only about
one-third as large as the gap in
home access between these two
groups. Similarly, the overall computer access gap between White
non-Hispanic school-age children
and Black or Hispanic school-age
children was just over one-third the
size of the gap between these
groups in home computer access.6
ADULT ACCESS TO
COMPUTERS AND THE
INTERNET
More adults have computers
and use the Internet at home
than ever before.
More than half of all adults 18 years
old and over, 55 percent, lived in a
household with at least one computer in 2000, compared with only
46 percent in 1998. Thirty-seven
percent of all adults used the
Internet at home, compared with
just 23 percent in 1998 (Table C).
The oldest adults had the lowest
rates of home Internet use. Only
13 percent of those 65 years old or
over used the Internet at home.
6
The proportions of overall computer access
among Black and Hispanic school-age children
were not significantly different.
5
Among those 55 to 64 years,
31 percent used the Internet at
home.
Interestingly, among adults less
than 55 years old, the proportion
using the Internet at home showed
little variation by age group. Only
about 4 percentage points separated the groups with the lowest and
highest proportions of Internet
users: 42 percent for 18 to 24 years
and 46 percent for 35 to 44 years.
A small difference existed between
the proportions of men and women
who used the Internet at home
(39 percent of men compared with
36 percent of women). However, this
difference was due to the higher proportion of women 55 years old and
over — an age group with lower rates
of Internet use regardless of sex.
More affluent and more highly
educated adults are more
likely to have computers or
use the Internet.
Eighty-seven percent of related adults
living in family households with
incomes of $75,000 or more had a
computer, compared with 28 percent
of adults living in family households
with incomes less than $25,000.
Two-thirds (67 percent) of related
adults living in the wealthiest family
households used the Internet at
home, compared with 14 percent of
those living in households with the
lowest family incomes.
The most highly educated adults
were the most likely to have a computer or use the Internet at home.
Seventy-eight percent of adults with
a bachelor’s degree or more had
access to a computer at home,
compared with 46 percent of those
holding only a high school diploma.
6
Figure 3.
Computer Access at Home and School Among
Children 6 to 17 Years Old by Family Income, Race, and
Hispanic Origin: August 2000
(Percent of civilian noninstitutional population)
$75,000 or more
$50,000 to $74,999
$25,000 to $49,999
Less than $25,000
Access by family income*
94.2
Home computer
access
83.5
65.3
34.5
87.3
85.7
79.8
School
computer use
71.7
98.7
96.5
90.0
Total access
78.5
White non-Hispanic
Asian and Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic (of any race)
Access by race and Hispanic origin
Home computer
access
78.9
73.7
44.6
38.4
84.2
School
computer use
73.3
72.4
70.0
94.5
Total access
87.8
80.6
78.9
*Among children in families.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
U.S. Census Bureau
Table C.
Access to a Home Computer and Use of the Internet at Home by Adults 18 Years and
Over: August 2000
(Numbers in thousands. Civilian noninstitutional population)
Characteristic
Total 18 years
and over
Home computer access
Use Internet at home
Number
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
201,985
111,935
55.4
75,322
37.3
to 24 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
to 34 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
to 44 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
to 54 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26,458
37,394
44,665
37,007
23,710
32,751
15,256
22,004
29,294
24,003
12,062
9,316
57.7
58.8
65.6
64.9
50.9
28.4
10,984
16,406
20,306
16,196
7,240
4,190
41.5
43.9
45.5
43.8
30.5
12.8
SEX
Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
96,789
105,196
55,023
56,912
56.8
54.1
37,243
38,079
38.5
36.2
RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
White non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Black. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Asian and Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hispanic (of any race). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
168,293
148,001
23,998
7,993
21,350
97,094
89,958
8,890
5,277
7,530
57.7
60.8
37.0
66.0
35.3
66,488
62,942
4,927
3,491
3,740
39.5
42.5
20.5
43.7
17.5
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Less than high school diploma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
High school diploma/GED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Some college . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bachelor’s degree or more. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33,055
66,401
54,376
48,153
7,687
30,635
35,876
37,737
23.3
46.1
66.0
78.4
2,792
17,182
25,284
30,065
8.4
25.9
46.5
62.4
LABOR FORCE STATUS
Employed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unemployed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
132,772
5,346
63,866
84,382
2,626
24,928
63.6
49.1
39.0
59,020
1,808
14,494
44.5
33.8
22.7
SIZE OF HOUSEHOLD
One person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Two to four people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Five or more people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27,237
143,968
30,779
8,195
84,757
18,983
30.1
58.9
61.7
6,354
57,596
11,373
23.3
40.0
37.0
REGION
Northeast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38,771
46,383
71,688
45,143
22,043
26,236
36,601
27,055
56.9
56.6
51.1
59.9
14,833
17,551
24,569
18,369
38.3
37.8
34.3
40.7
METROPOLITAN STATUS
Metropolitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside central city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside central city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nonmetropolitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
163,441
58,521
104,920
38,544
93,773
29,042
64,731
18,162
57.4
49.6
61.7
47.1
64,066
19,721
44,344
11,256
39.2
33.7
42.3
29.2
FAMILY INCOME
TOTAL ADULTS IN FAMILIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Under $15,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15,000-19,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20,000-24,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25,000-34,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35,000-49,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50,000-74,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
75,000+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Not reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
157,897
13,604
6,470
8,390
18,102
21,738
28,526
36,398
24,668
94,911
3,237
1,982
2,866
8,392
13,309
21,242
31,812
12,071
60.1
23.8
30.6
34.2
46.4
61.2
74.5
87.4
48.9
62,671
1,531
954
1,515
4,700
8,136
14,529
24,199
7,107
39.7
11.3
14.7
18.1
26.0
37.4
50.9
66.5
28.8
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AGE
18
25
35
45
55
65
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
U.S. Census Bureau
7
Among adults with at least a bachelor’s degree, 62 percent used the
Internet at home, compared with
only 26 percent of adults with only
a high school diploma.
Asian and Pacific Islander
adults are the most likely to
have computers at home.
Among Asians and Pacific Islanders
18 years old and over, 66 percent
lived in a household with a computer, the highest of any race or ethnic
group. In turn, 61 percent of White
non-Hispanic adults lived in households with a computer, significantly
more than Black or Hispanic adults
(37 and 35 percent, respectively).7
Table D.
Specific Uses of the Internet at Home by Adults and
Children: August 2000
(Numbers in thousands. Civilian noninstitutional population)
People using the Internet at home
Specific use
Children 3 to 17 years
Adults 18 years and over
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Any Internet use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18,437
100.0
75,322
100.0
E-mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
School research or courses. . . . . . . . . . .
Check news, weather, sports . . . . . . . . .
Make phone calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Information search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Job search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Job-related tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shop or pay bills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Play games, entertainment, fun . . . . . . .
Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13,438
12,560
3,658
630
6,079
418
272
1,467
1,981
1,099
72.9
68.1
19.8
3.4
33.0
2.3
1.5
8.0
10.7
6.0
66,046
18,080
39,528
4,831
48,358
14,930
25,347
30,014
3,655
7,051
87.7
24.0
52.5
6.4
64.2
19.8
33.7
39.8
4.9
9.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
The proportion of Asian and Pacific
Islander and White non-Hispanic
adults using the Internet at home
was more than double that of Black
adults (44 percent, 43 percent, and
21 percent, respectively).8 Hispanic
adults had the lowest home Internet
use (18 percent).
USES OF THE INTERNET
E-mail is the most common
use of the Internet at home.
More home Internet users, both
adults and children, sent or
received e-mail in 2000 than did
any other online activity. Among
children, 73 percent of those who
used the Internet at home used email, compared with 68 percent
who used the Internet to do
research for school or to take courses online, the next most common
use (Table D). Eighty-eight percent
of adult Internet users sent or
7
The proportions of Black or Hispanic adults
with a computer at home were not significantly
different. Based on the August 2000 Current
Population Survey sample, 2 percent of Black
adults 18 years old or over and 2 percent of
Asians and Pacific Islanders over 18 years are
also of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any
race.
8
The proportions of Asians and Pacific
Islanders and White non-Hispanic adults who
were home Internet users were not significantly
different.
8
received e-mail, far more than
performed information searches
(64 percent), the next most common adult use.
Internet use is influencing
how society manages
information.
Although the online activities of
Internet users show how people
with the technology use it, the total
proportion of people in the population performing certain tasks online
demonstrates how the technology
might impact society.
The Internet has become a major
venue for the dissemination of
news (Figure 4). Among adults,
nearly 1 in 5 used the Internet at
home to check on news, weather, or
sports. Nearly 1 in 4 adults used
the Internet for other sorts of information searches, such as information about businesses, health practices, or government services.
The Internet also affects interpersonal communication. About 1 in 3
adults used e-mail from home. More
than 1 in 5 children (22 percent)
used home e-mail.
Finally, the Internet acts as a venue
for work and school to enter the
home. One adult in eight used the
Internet to perform job-related tasks
using a home Internet connection.
Twenty-one percent of children used
the Internet to perform schoolrelated tasks, such as research for
assignments or taking courses
online.
SOURCE OF THE DATA
Most estimates in this report come
from data obtained in August 2000
from the Current Population Survey
(CPS). Some estimates are based on
data obtained from the CPS in earlier
years or other months. The U.S.
Census Bureau conducts the Current
Population Survey every month,
although this report uses only data
from months during which a
Computer Use or Internet supplement
were administered for its estimates.
ACCURACY AND
RELIABILITY OF THE DATA
Statistics from sample surveys are
subject to sampling and nonsampling error. All comparisons presented in this report have taken sampling error into account and meet
the Census Bureau’s standards for
statistical significance. Nonsampling
errors in surveys may be attributed
U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 4.
Adults and Children Using the Internet for
a Specific Task: August 2000
(Percent of civilian noninstitutional population)
Percent of children 3 to 17 years
Percent of adults 18 years and over
22.2
E-mail
32.7
School research
or courses
MORE INFORMATION
10.0
Information
searches
News, weather,
sports
23.9
6.0
19.6
20.7
9.0
Job-related
tasks
to a variety of sources, such as how
the survey was designed, how
respondents interpret questions, how
able and willing respondents are to
provide correct answers, and how
accurately answers are coded and
classified. The Census Bureau
employs quality control procedures
throughout the production process —
including the overall design of surveys, testing the wording of questions, review of the work of interviewers and coders, and statistical
review of reports.
The electronic version of this report
is available on the Internet, at the
Census Bureau’s World Wide Web
site (www.census.gov). Once on the
site, click on “C’” under the
“Subjects A-Z” heading, and then
“Computer Use and Ownership.”
12.5
CONTACTS
Note: While some older children used the Internet to work at home, the proportion was too
small to be shown.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, August 2000.
U.S. Census Bureau
comparisons across different surveys or data sources. Please contact
the Demographic Statistical
Methods Division via Internet e-mail
at dsmd_s&a@census.gov for information on the source of the data,
the accuracy of the estimates, the
use of standard errors, and the
computation of standard errors.
The CPS employs ratio estimation,
whereby sample estimates are
adjusted to independent estimates
of the national population by age,
race, sex, and Hispanic origin. This
weighting partially corrects for bias
due to undercoverage, but how it
affects different variables in the survey is not precisely known.
Moreover, biases may also be present when people who are missed in
the survey differ from those interviewed in ways other than the categories used in weighting (age, race,
sex, and Hispanic origin). All of
these considerations affect
For additional information on these
topics, contact Eric C. Newburger,
Education and Social Stratification
Branch, on 301-457-2464 or via
e-mail (eric.charles.newburger@
census.gov).
USER COMMENTS
The Census Bureau welcomes the
comments and advice of data and
report users. If you have any suggestions or comments, please write
to:
Chief, Population Division
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233
or send e-mail to: pop@census.gov
9
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